The invention relates to a fluid delivery device, a multicellular pump and to a method for operating the same.
Multicellular pumps, i.e. pumps conveying a liquid by means of a plurality of individual cells, are able to convey small amounts of fluid in accurate manner, which makes them particularly attractive for various applications, e.g. in the fields of drug delivery, chemical analysis, or fuel delivery to fuel cells.
Designs suitable for microfabrication have e.g. been proposed in WO 00/28215 and use electrostatic forces for conveying the fluid.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,593,290 describes a delivery device where a fluid is delivered from an external reservoir by means of a peristaltic pump assembly comprising a plurality of chambers with membranes. The membranes are operated by pressure sources for conveying the liquid.
WO 03/031822 describes a pump with two chambers arranged in series and a flexible membrane arranged in each chamber. The membranes are alternatingly actuated for conveying the liquid.